Wednesday 3 February 2010 06.50 EST
First published on Wednesday 3 February 2010 06.50 EST

The government's bid to push the digital economy bill through has been dealt another setback after Siôn Simon, the creative industries minister appointed to pilot the legislation through parliament for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, announced he is to stand down as an MP.

A spokesman for the DCMS confirmed that Simon would step down at the February recess and that a replacement would be announced in due course by No 10.

The digital economy bill, which developed from Lord Carter's Digital Britain plan published last June, is currently going through committee stage at the House of Lords. The committee will meet again today to discuss the bill, which has elements including anti-digital piracy measures.

Although the government is outwardly confident that the bill will become legislation before the general election, which is likely to be on 6 May, many observers believe that it will struggle to get it through parliament in that time.

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, said: "First Stephen Carter, now Siôn Simon – this resignation is another chapter in the sorry story of Labour's disastrous approach to Britain's digital future. It is a complete farce that a minister responsible should resign his post so close to the digital economy bill arriving in the House of Commons."

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